Taste of Mexico offers all the staples of Mexican fare

Taste of Mexico

301 North Harrison Street (609) 252-1575 Lunch: $6 Dinner: under $10 Overall: ** Food: ** Decor: ** Service:** (satisfactory = * sublime = *****)

Taste of Mexico, wedged into a corner of the Princeton Shopping Center, is the Borough's "other" Mexican restaurant.

Mexican Village (half a block from the Princeton Medical Center) is larger, nearer to the center of town, and more popular with students, but those adventurous enough to wander a mile from campus will find themselves well rewarded by Taste of Mexico's fare.

The sunglass-wearing owner, Fillipe Cruz, greets patrons with "hey buddy" as they walk through the door — a friendly introduction to the chatty, if lackadaisical, service.

He immigrated to Princeton from Oaxaca, Mexico in the early 1990's and found a kitchen job with the Olive Garden on Route 1.

Three-and-a-half years of cooking Americanized Italian food later, Cruz became convinced that he, not to mention the town, would be better served if he returned to the recipes of his youth, and in 1995 he opened Taste of Mexico at its current location on Harrison Street.

Cruz's menu offers all the staples of Mexican fare: tacos, quesadillas, tostadas and burritos in addition to a list of house specialties including sauteed steaks popular with Latinos who frequent the restaurant.

On weekends, Taste of Mexico adds tamales, posole — a creamy corn and chicken soup topped with mole sauce, and Mex-ican beef stew to its offerings. Like most independent restaurants in a state that charges half a million dollars for a liquor license, Taste of Mexico can't give you a margarita with your meal, but allows you to bring your own.

It partially compensates for this absence by providing an interesting selection of Mexican sodas and fruit juices.

Almost all of Taste of Mexico's entrees are both tasty and filling, though few would convince you that you were at one of Mexico City's finest restaurants. I'm partial to the enchiladas, which are packed with chicken and smothered in mole or salsa verde. Cruz calls it his favorite dish and prefers it topped with the dry, nutty mole, but I prefer the piquant, flavorful salsa.

The mole is thin-tasting to my palette, and I prefer the one Mexican Village offers.

I also recommend the tamales — spiced chicken or pork wrapped in cornmeal — which aren't dressed up in decorative corn husks but taste divine. They are spicy, moist, just-perceptibly sour and topped with cheese and sour cream, much superior to the bland Mexican Village version.

...None of the dishes are disappointments, although the chef does have a tendency to overcook chicken breasts.

I particularly recommend Taste of Mexico's lunch specials. These give you a choice of tacos, enchiladas, or tostadas, served with the ubiquitous sides of rice and beans, and should keep you full until a late dinner.

The restaurant's interior is cramped — just five nearly abutting tables and a few stools lining a counter, while the healthy carry-out business ensures that Taste of Mexico bustles during the lunch and dinner hours.

The counter seats offer a superb view of the chef preparing your meal, which is convenient if you suddenly realize that you want him to leave off some topping. But the heat of a stove four feet from your nose can be disconcerting.

Strings of flashing colored lights line the roof above the windows, while advertisements and a poster of a smiling Mexican soccer star adorn the walls behind the cash register and prep area.

The place is by no means fancy, but has a certain charm when mariachi music is playing in the background.

I've found that dinner for two usually runs from $30-$35 including tax and tip.

Taste of Mexico is just less than a mile from campus — about a fifteen minute walk or five minute bike ride.

To get there, turn north (right) on Nassau Street until it crosses Harrison Street, then left on Harrison Street. The shopping center is about a fifth of a mile down on your right.

Die-hard Mexican food aficionados are bound to be a bit disappointed by Princeton's Mexican fare.

But Taste of Mexico will satisfy your craving, and provides a tasty introduction for students whose only experience with Mexican food is the dining hall taco bar.